News Release

Friday, September 1, 2017

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over NA17163im

The
end of summer is traditionally marked by the Labor Day holiday, a
time for our country to reflect on the hard work of our fellow
Americans. The long weekend is often celebrated through picnics,
pool parties, and barbecues, as families and friends enjoy the last
few days of summer. Sadly, the Labor Day holiday is also one of the
deadliest, with alcohol and drug impaired drivers endangering
themselves and others on America's roadways.

This year, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is partnering
with municipal police departments, county sheriff departments and
the California Highway Patrol across the state to stop impaired
drivers and help save lives. The high-visibility national
enforcement campaign, Drive
Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from August 18 through September
4, 2017.Over the Labor Day
weekend, the LAPD has the following DUI-related enforcement
activities scheduled:

According to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA),10,265people were killed in
drunk-driving crashes in 2015, a three percent rise in deaths
over 2014. That's roughlyone person
killed every 51 minutes in 2015.That's the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets
crashing each year, with no survivors. This is why the
LAPDis working to
remind drivers that impaired driving is not only illegal, it is a
matter of life and death.

Officers
will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. When
possible, specially trained officers will be available to
evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now
accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes.In recent years, California has
seen an increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. The LAPD
supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that
aims to educate all drivers that "DUI Doesn't Just Mean Booze."
If you use prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving
or operating machinery warning, you might be impaired enough to
get arrested for DUI. Marijuana use can also be impairing,
especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can
result in a DUI arrest.

It is never okay to drive impaired.
Even if you've had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober
driver or plan to use public transportation to get home
safely.The cost of a ride home
is cheap. Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact
of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes,
license suspensions and other expenses that can exceed
$10,000.

Drivers are
encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP, or "DDVIP,"
free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find
nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the
designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free
appetizers and more.

Funding for
this DUI operation is provided to the LAPD by a grant from the
California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to 'Report
Drunk Driver - Call 9-1-1'.